


Evil's Origin

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Inspired by a Movie, Minor Character Death, Short One Shot, Translation, sort of character study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 18:46:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19090930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: October 1935, Little Hangleton. The event that turned Tom Riddle into Lord Voldemort.





	Evil's Origin

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [L’Origine du Mal](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6217177) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 



> Disclaimer: All rights belongs to J.K. Rowling, no profit is made from this.
> 
> This is a short one shot inspired by a scene in a movie, do you recognise it?
> 
> Beta read by RedHorse, thank you again so much!

October 1935, Little Hangleton.

Fall spread to the English countryside all around the small village. It was one of those remote corners of England where everyone knew each other and where the ancient pagan festival of Halloween brought all the villagers together. Yet the minister, Thomas Riddle, was strongly against it and was doing his best to erase any vestiges of the Old Religion and what he called _witchcraft_.

Minister Thomas Riddle was married to the daughter of a man from the surrounding area, Marvolo Gaunt, known, like his son Morfin, for his despicable and vile deeds. However, Merope Gaunt was the opposite of her remaining relatives. Though not pleasant to look at, she showed kindness and generosity like no other. From this marriage a son was born, Thomas Riddle Junior, known as Tom. He was the spitting image of his father and inherited his clever and strong mind. A precocious child, young Tom suffered from his father’s disinterest and found reassurance close to his submissive mother.

This year, Tom was going to celebrate his ninth birthday.

Merope often took her son to the nearest wood bordering the village to show him the plants she used for their curative properties. These moments were shared in secrecy, but on that day of Halloween, while his mother showed him a light ritual of protection, a dark shadow invaded his world. The minister had found them.

For the first time Tom really saw his father become enraged and his mother shaking in terror. Thomas did not yell; only his face expressed his rage. He grabbed Merope and dragged her back to the village without caring for his son. The young boy followed them from a distance, staying hidden from his father’s eyes. He went into the church after them but they were nowhere in sight. So he sat at his usual place and waited for his parents to reappear.

When the minister reappeared, he was walking up the center aisle with a slow and sure pace toward the exit. When he passed in front of his son, he did not look his way. When his father disappeared behind the great door, Tom approached the one his father crossed. It wasn’t locked like he feared, slowly he pushed the door open. The room was dark and he could see menacing-looking shapes, but he did not linger. He had to find his mother.

A big human-looking wardrobe attracted his eyes. He approached it, standing on tiptoe to look in the slit on the iron face. He fell over, horrified. Wide frightened eyes met his. The iron doors opened, no more holding up the weight inside. The corpse collapsed at his feet. Blood gushed on him. His father had murdered his mother. Tom screamed.

His little world was annihilated by obscurantism.

Two years later, Tom was set to enter secondary school. Since his mother’s death, he was avoiding his father with great care and spent most of his time with his grandparents. July was coming to an end when a stranger came to Riddle manor while Thomas was at the church. It was Mrs Riddle who received him. It was a tall man with a red beard and long hair tied in a ponytail. On his crooked nose sat half-moon spectacles behind which were bright twinkling blue eyes.

The man presented himself as professor Albus Dumbledore, deputy headmaster of Hogwarts School where he offered a place for Tom. He spent a quarter of an hour with Mr and Mrs riddle before the minister’s return. When he came back, he isolated himself in his office with the professor. Tom hid near the door to eavesdrop. He had nothing against going to this school, Aysgarth School didn’t appeal to him. Thomas’ tone of voice rose, the discussion turned sour. The door opened with full force, the minister was showing the way out to the professor. With an air of regret, he left greeting the elder Riddles and slightly head bowing to Tom while looking him in the eyes.

At this time, the young boy understood he needed to take charge of his future. He knew he was different, after all who could speak to snake beside him and his late mother? Who could do magic like them? No one and certainly not his father. So even if he wanted to Thomas Riddle couldn’t understand, they didn’t live in the same world. Tom made inquiries, spied and eventually succeeded to reach professor Dumbledore. They agreed to meet at Great Hangleton on August 10th. Tom met up with him in the town park where they sat on a bench and he listened to what the man had come to tell him at the manor. 

“You are a wizard Tom.”

The first of September, Tom was at King’s Cross station. The day before, a violent argument opposed him to his father. He had made his choice, he would follow in his mother’s footsteps. He was not afraid and his murderer of a father would soon fear him. He would avenge his mother and all those who like her succumbed to the muggles’ incomprehension, jealousy and hatred. He would become the leader of the wizarding community and he would protect them all against the menace by all means necessary. 

History will prove he tried and failed. For in the end to him, there is no good and no evil, but only power and those too weak to seek it.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this, leave a comment or kudos if you want.  
> Thank you for reading, have a good day!


End file.
